MELANIN BASE CAMP

I’m in the process of building my dream climbing wall — a 16x12 foot adjustable kilterboard. And in true @felinefavia fashion, I needed cats on my wall. I had never painted outside of art class , which was over 20 years ago. Working full time with a toddler, 5 cats and a dog didn’t leave me much time to learn a new skill. So I hired a painter, but when he didn’t show up and the welders were starting in three days. I quickly took a crash course on painting and here is what I learned.

I was recently lucky enough to make my first voyage to one of the top climbing destinations in the world: Fontainebleau—or Font. For most of my climbing career, I’d heard stories about the beautiful sandstone boulders and the flat, sandy landings. I knew I had to experience it for myself one day.

But planning a climbing trip to a foreign country can feel overwhelming and even a little scary, especially if it’s your first time. To help make your experience smoother and more enjoyable, here are some tips I picked up along the way.

Esther Park is on a mission to help women in skydiving fit in–literally. 

She left a comfortable job in scientific sales after a life-changing skydiving accident. Since then, she founded a company, Girls in Sky Places, to help women find correctly-sized gear. 

We kicked off from the South Kaibab Trailhead at 4:30 AM, in the dark, our headlamps lighting the way. The morning was cool—perfect hiking weather—and the sky was just starting to hint at the sunrise. The trail drops fast, and within minutes we weaved our way down steep switchbacks, passing early-bird day hikers and the occasional runner already charging uphill.

Summer is here and prices couldn’t be higher! Recession indicators are everywhere, federal student loan repayments are back on and rent is rising in major cities across the U.S. But you don’t want to spend all your time at home either. Here are eight ways to get outside for free (or close enough) while making friends, building community and learning new hobbies. Let’s go!

Over the past five days, we shared our anxieties and fears about this moment. Not one of us could say that we felt absolutely confident in our abilities to get to the top. However, I remembered the one promise we all made each other. “If you keep going, I will, too”.

Do you live in Washington DC? Are you looking for a challenging day hike within reach of the city? Then you should check out North Fork Mountain.

It’s less than 3 hrs away which means you can start and end the day at home in your own bed. But I’ll also cover camping and cabin options for people who don’t like long road trips.